Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Vanity on Choosing Topics

Posted on 06/06/2002 10:54:54 AM PDT by Admin Moderator

Lately, we have been seeing more and more people who are posting articles to every topic, or to many topics which it is a stretch to see as applicable.

Please don't do this. You may be thinking that you are giving more visibility to articles that you find important, but in actuality you are making it so that people who read FR by topic have their interests spammed with things of no interest to them, making more work for the moderators (which may lead to more moderators, which may or may not be a good thing), and generally alienating the very readers you are trying to win over.

For example, philosophy should only be used for articles which are dealing with philosophy, not every article under the guise of "it raises philosophical questions".

What is appropriate for what topic? Let's have this thread be used for Freepers to hash out what belongs in what topic. All I will add to the discussion is that clearly posts are being made to way too many unrelated topics, so whatever the right balance is, we aren't there. It would be a shame to have people lose posting privileges over something like this, but that is preferrable to us losing Freepers due to others making FR unusable for them.

I will also use this thread to give guidelines for the "main" sidebar topics.

Breaking News is for articles of emerging, important news stories. Imagine a television station or a radio station being run by conservatives instead of liberals. Would regular programming be interrupted to go to this story? If so, then it may belong in breaking. If not, then it doesn't. The exception to this rule is activism. If one of our chapters is organizing an event, then Jim has given the OK for the breaking news sidebar to be used for that.

Frontpage is for stories that it would be reasonable to expect to find on the front page of a newspaper or news magazine.

Extended News is for stories that extend other important stories. For example, if there is a story in breaking news or on frontpage, and there are other articles which give background or are otherwise related to the main story, then Extended News is a good place for them. Also, stories which are not quite breaking or frontpage but are likely to be considered important, not by the poster but by conservatives in general, can be placed in Extended.

Editorial is for opinion pieces and editorials of note.

Anyway, please be more considerate when choosing the topics when posting articles. Thanks.


TOPICS: Announcements; Anthrax Scare; Breaking News; Canada; Free Republic
KEYWORDS: topics
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-115 next last
To: Risky Schemer
If people go out of their way to make Free Republic less enjoyable or useful for other Freepers, and do not respond to repeated requests to stop, they will lose their privileges.

That's the way it is.

41 posted on 06/06/2002 11:43:26 AM PDT by Admin Moderator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: Admin Moderator
Okay, I need edjumacatin.....

I'm still relatively new here and I'm still not sure where to post at times. Like this morning I wanted to post a personal note of thanks to D-Day vets. I think I put it under "editorial". I think I put it in the right place, no one complained anyway. Not meaning to be mean spirited or overly critical here, but it is rather confusing for the new comers to try and figure out what fits where by the titles of your categories. Maybe you oughta create a couple of categories for those of us that just want to jaw at each other for fun. That'll keep us off of the news pages anyhow and not tick of the serious news junkies here. And be gentle with my ignorance. As a newbie, my flame suit is still on order :-)

42 posted on 06/06/2002 11:44:34 AM PDT by ProudEagle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Sir Gawain
Hey, that gives me an idea.
43 posted on 06/06/2002 11:44:37 AM PDT by Admin Moderator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: Admin Moderator
Perhaps John could separate ARTICLE posting and reply posting privileges, so that you can take away article posting privileges of unruly posters.........
44 posted on 06/06/2002 11:45:14 AM PDT by Texaggie79
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: Texaggie79
Just call me the Jesse Jackson of FR

I'm sorry we can't do that unless you've shaken down large corporations and knocked up mistresses.

45 posted on 06/06/2002 11:45:24 AM PDT by NeoCaveman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: ProudEagle
The general interest forum is a place to just jaw away.

And for self written pieces, the topic "vanity" usually is the best bet.

Yes, better documentation would be helpful, and is planned.

46 posted on 06/06/2002 11:46:10 AM PDT by Admin Moderator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: Admin Moderator
Tim?
47 posted on 06/06/2002 11:46:11 AM PDT by Texaggie79
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: Admin Moderator
Awww shucks.
48 posted on 06/06/2002 11:46:25 AM PDT by Sir Gawain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: Admin Moderator
Is there anyway that you all can just put up a note on the posting page Pick only one Topic or allow a person to only choose one Topic? I changed my mind on something over the weekend where it should go, and so I clicked on another topic expecting it to take away the first click but two of the topic areas showed up.
49 posted on 06/06/2002 11:46:32 AM PDT by PhiKapMom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Admin Moderator
If people go out of their way to make Free Republic less enjoyable or useful for other Freepers, and do not respond to repeated requests to stop, they will lose their privileges.

Does that mean I have to wear my pants again?

50 posted on 06/06/2002 11:47:29 AM PDT by Lazamataz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: Admin Moderator
Huh? There are topics? And sidebars? How many shots have I had sho far?
51 posted on 06/06/2002 11:47:40 AM PDT by maxwell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Texaggie79
If/when he makes it so that we can stop certain users from posting threads to certain topics, that will essentially be done. All we would have to do is put all the topics in the list of restrictions for that user.
52 posted on 06/06/2002 11:47:43 AM PDT by Admin Moderator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: Sir Gawain; Texaggie79
Awww shucks.

"I am somebody." Wait a minute, that's Texaggie's line.

53 posted on 06/06/2002 11:48:20 AM PDT by dighton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: Lazamataz
You have to get them back from Technochick first ;-)
54 posted on 06/06/2002 11:48:30 AM PDT by Admin Moderator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: Sir Gawain
Hey, check out the breaking news sidebar. This bud's for you.
55 posted on 06/06/2002 11:48:50 AM PDT by Quilla
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Admin Moderator
If people go out of their way to make Free Republic less enjoyable or useful for other Freepers, and do not respond to repeated requests to stop, they will lose their privileges.

That's the way it is.

Instead of threatening people with loss of posting privileges for abusing topic choice -- for which there are no guidelines posted that I know of -- why not tweak the software to limit to no more than one or two choices, and post a few tips on what constitutes a proper choice? Up til now few had a clue that it was a problem at all.

56 posted on 06/06/2002 11:49:10 AM PDT by Risky Schemer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: ProudEagle;Admin Moderator
I think that is the idea of the General Interest Forum! Keep the sourced News and published editorials in the News Forum!

Maybe it should be retitled as the Media Watch Forum!

57 posted on 06/06/2002 11:52:00 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: Admin Moderator
You have to get them back from Technochick first ;-)

LOL! Well, at least I still have these:


58 posted on 06/06/2002 11:52:08 AM PDT by Lazamataz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: Admin Moderator
For a little while, anyways. ;^)
59 posted on 06/06/2002 11:52:27 AM PDT by Lazamataz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: Lazamataz
Why are they different colors and why are there numbers on them?
60 posted on 06/06/2002 11:53:51 AM PDT by Sir Gawain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-115 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson